"The Perfect Law"

Just when you thought that you had it all figured out, someone points you back to the cross!!! Once you see the Gift, you can't turn back! That is what I have written between the lines in my Bible after Galatians 6:14. I cannot remember when I wrote it there, but it was written in blue ink, which tells me it was probably between 1986 and 1993, because that is when I always had a Cross Pen in my Bible. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14) Here is what I believe Paul is getting at; which is not far from that which I was getting at yesterday, but redirects it back to the cross: We are not alone! I know what your thinking: That does not seem like what Paul is saying; where do you get that from? Well; primarily, from the word 'world' that Paul uses when he says, "the world is crucified unto me", which is a complicated word 'kosmos'; a word that is as complicated as the world is. It actually reminds me of what I would refer to my friends that I would not understand, back in my BC days; I would call them Cosmos, as in, I don't understand you, or where you have come from! But this word 'kosmos' is actually speaking more about the order of things, than a particular thing; which puts it in a category of merit, that means something which is measured out in relationship with something of greater importance. Add to that, Paul's next part of this statement, "and I unto the world", and we have the perfect law of Christ, in a nutshell. What is it really all about? Sacrificial Love!!! A love that gives unto others at the expense of the giver, for the sole purpose of giving out love. Hence, we have the other part of the equation, and that is the fact that we are giving out love unto others; others, meaning those that are with us on the crazy place called the world...

"Perfecting Grace"

Is it even possible for man to live perfecting grace within his life? Paul seemed to think that it was. As I dove deeper into some of the meaning to what 'the law of Christ' actually stands for, and then add to that the word 'fulfil', I truly believe that Paul was envisioning the perfecting of grace within the church; brother and sister, one and all, living out the grace that they had been given. The word that is used for fulfil is the word 'anapleroo', and is from 'ana' meaning up, and 'pleroo' meaning to fill. To fill the place of anyone (1 Corinthians 14:16); to fill up, complete, as spoken of measure (1 Thessalonians 2:16); to fill up or supply a deficiency, make good (1 Corinthians 16:17 & Philippians 2:30). The word is stronger than 'pleroo' (to fill) and means to make very full, to the very end, to perfection. Thus 'pleroo' emphasizes the act while 'anapleroo' emphasizes the measure. The 'law of Christ' is nothing less that the perfect law of the Gospel: "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8) In the verse here from Romans 13:8, Paul uses the word 'heteros' for another when he says "for he that loveth another", which means quite a bit more than just someone else; but it actually means more like someone different than yourself. This is actually the problem in man's ability to perfect grace in his life, and thus the churches ability to express grace to a fallen world: loving those that are different than who they are!!!

"Living Out Grace"

"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:10) This is really what we must do! But what does it mean to have opportunity? A season, as in a time at which foreordained events take place. Really, it means that? I will tell you something right here and now: you are called to be someone who lives out the grace that you have been given! It seems that we have no problem living out mercy; that we can do by just putting up with people; but living out grace requires us to express our love for one another. To literally reach out and lift a brother or sister up in a time of need; especially in the times that they need it most. This is something that must be part of our inheritance, wherein we live it because we are living in it. If we truly are loving our brothers and sisters in Christ, then grace is part of the equation. Grace is a favor done without expectation of return; the absolutely free expression of the loving kindness of God to men finding its only motive in the bounty and benevolence of the Giver; unearned and unmerited favor. This brings joy; it causes joy to be manifested with our hearts, because we have been given something which we did not deserve; something that we were unworthy of receiving, we have been given; therefore, we are living out that joy which we received when we show grace unto others. Going back to verse 6:2, Paul said something which really caught my heart: "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ". So, what is the law of Christ? Love; yes that is part of what we are about; but how can love be expressed without grace being put forth. It's not hard to love someone who is loving you; but can you love someone who is not loving you; or better yet, can you love anyone that you have a dispute or disagreement with; and if you do, what does that love look like?

"Weary Servants" -2

I find it very interesting that the caption above Galatians 6:7 in my Bible says, 'Never Give Up'. Is that a reference to what we do, or the actions of others? Seriously, I want to know; is it that we are not to give up on ourselves, or on caring for others? The reason that I ask, is that the caption above the beginning of Chapter 6 in my Bible, says, 'Help Each Other', which was what I closed with the other day; speaking about the intentions of our heart, and then closing with verses 1-6. If Paul is on the same thought, and we are still speaking about helping each other, then verse seven and eight are two verses which have a meaning that goes way beyond the standard quotes which I have previously heard them used for. "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7 & 8) This Paul says between two verses that both speak about servitude; verse 6 says, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things"; while verse 9 says, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not". This is the thought that I believe Paul is trying to put forth: that the intentions of our heart are vitally important to our eternal perspective, and to our overall joy, as a believer in Jesus Christ. Reason being, that if we have as our intention to reap a reward to the flesh, then that shall be our reward; and anything that is sown to the flesh will be rotted away. However, if we have as our intention to reap to the Spirit, then we will be sowing towards the benefit of others, above that of our self; which is actually what being a servant is all about. When we become weary in well doing, is when we are looking for a reward towards the flesh which never is realized, or does not materialize the way that we envisioned that it would. This very concept can also be found in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, where Paul speaks about giving, and that God loves a cheerful giver; meaning, someone who gives bountifully, which is to bless without the intention to be blessed in return, but in an attitude of thanksgiving, giving because we have already been blessed beyond measure!

"Weary Servants"

You might have gathered by the title of today's post, that this post is about being weary in well doing; yes and no. Galatians 6:9 has a reference to just that kind of statement, but for now I wanted to express what was on my heart this morning: actually weary servants! No one likes to have enemies; at least I know that I don't; but for some reason, those that are to be loving there brothers and sisters, can sure find it easy to dismiss that command when it comes to a Pastor of a church that they have left. I can tell you something that you may not want to hear, but it is something which must be said: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." (Galatians 6:7) I have watched family after family, with only a few exceptions, who have left the church in a manner that is not an expression of Love for God and His servants, and have tried to fraction the fellowship by attempting to justify their actions; only to find their own life, family, or relationship with God, to be torn apart down the road. This is no joke! It is the work of the devil, and it must be stopped! Meanwhile, the Pastors of these fellowships are put through some of the harshest battles; and for what? Someones prideful display of revolt in something said, done, or imagined? I have had four churches that I have called my Home Church in the last 30 years: Calvary Chapel of Downey was the first, which we left for Hosanna Chapel in 1986 because we bought a new home within walking distance from the church; however, we would still attend Calvary Downey for special events, like concerts and freedom festivals on the 4th of July. Hosanna Chapel was also a Calvary Chapel, it just had a different name; it also had some really powerful ministries, like a strong cults ministry, where we would go to large W.T.S. functions and had out tracts; a food ministry that would literally feed thousands of the hungry; and our Evangelist on staff, Ray Comfort, who would take teams of people to MacArthur Park to minister to the homeless, or to the beach, to put on mock funeral services right on the beach. In 1990 we moved to Palo Cedro, where we attended Little Country Church, which was also a Calvary Chapel fellowship; and we remained there until they moved to Redding, at which time a Calvary Chapel moved to Palo Cedro, and I felt called to that fellowship. So far, I have not felt called anywhere else; and four Pastors later, I am still here! Oh, I have sometimes thought of leaving; it has been really rough, and at one point, I was pretty much the only one in leadership left; but it is my church: my family! And like a family, there are always some which can make you wonder: what have they been smoking? But anyway, I have said time and time again, to anyone that was leaving the church: Where are you being called? Therefore, I am not going anywhere, not until I am called to be somewhere else!!!

"Getting Right With God - Really"

Good intentions are not always good enough! I tried to get up early this morning and get back into my prayer routine, but like most mornings these last few months, for some reason I can only fall into a deep sleep after around 3:00am. That does not allow for much sleep when you are getting up at 4:00! Regardless, I did had good intentions on getting up this morning and praying for the ones that I love. As I was driving around yesterday, I thought about something I said in yesterday's post; how that we can not seriously pray for our Pastor if we are holding something against them in our heart. In so doing, I was convicted of a few things which I have wondered, and even shared with others; no one who attends our fellowship, but nonetheless, I spoke them; in this I was wrong and need to be corrected. As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more I am assured that I must not only be corrected, but I must set out to undo anything which I have done. This might be something which requires more prayer and guidance by the Holy Spirit than you might think; because sometimes you could stir up more trouble in mending a statement, than you did by putting the statement out there in the first place. So then, why not leave it alone, and just stop saying anything wrong? Yes, I thought about that and considered it as the easy way out; but here is the deal with that: where is the correction? If I stand corrected, then who will know that I was wrong, but myself? Surely the ones that I had said something to would not, unless I specifically tell them that I was; and in telling them that I was, I must in all humility, make sure that I express the wrong that was done in my actions. Maybe, just maybe there could be a chain reaction which is brought about by this correction; wouldn't that be something? Do you know that God can see the intentions of your heart? Good intentions sometimes do matter, especially the ones that matter to God; because He judges what we do in our hearts; which sometimes are things which may or may not be played out in our lives; nonetheless, the intentions of our heart are the real proof of our love...or are they? "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For is a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." (Galatians 6:1-6)

"Getting Right With God"

"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by Love." (Galatians 5:6) If you really think about it, there is only Love that is the law that we serve; so where we transgress against God, is by not demonstrating love to Him, and to our brothers and sisters. Have you ever wondered if someone was loving you, or just wanting you to think that they loved you? That in and of itself is wrong; because we are not to judge the intentions of an others heart, that is up to God to do. We are to love, regardless of what motivates someone else! Paul is speaking of a true, lively faith which purifies the heart and works by Love. This works for our faith in God, as well as in our relationships with our brothers and sisters. To see my point, think about what your faith in God is based upon: it is based upon the fact that God loves you. It was the same also for Abraham, in that he believed that God loved him and was going to establish a nation for him; it was founded upon love: God's love for him, which produced his love for God. Now, when it comes to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be governed by this same love; not judging their intentions, but by faith, based upon love for one another, we purify our hearts of anything which would speak against them; that would include 'wondering what their intentions are'. Having said that, I should also remind us all, that our Pastors are also our brothers in Christ; which means that we must also purify our hearts of anything which would speak against them!!! You might not think that this is much of a problem, but it is a bigger problem than you think. We that are servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, must be praying for those that are leading our churches. We must be fiercely in prayer for our Pastor; because the enemy wants to take him out, and will stop at nothing to do just that. How in the world do you think that you can seriously pray for your Pastor, if you have in your heart, things which are held against him? They are only men, like you and I; but with one big difference: they have a big bulls eye on them from the enemy, which is meant to destroy them...

"Found To Be Sinners" -2

However; as we are found to be living in sin, and it is the Holy Spirit that is the one the convicts us, it is then that we must take a stand for Jesus Christ. Peter was not convicted by the Spirit in the case which Paul called him on; as a matter of fact, it was just the opposite. Peter was convicted by the Law and the Jews that were approaching the gathering that he was partaking in, with his new Gentile brothers in Christ. We are not under the Law, which does not mean that we have license to sin; but it does mean that the Law is not what governs our life; it is Grace which is our guide in matters of living: Grace that is founded in Love! In the case of Peter's actions, prior to his fellow Jews showing up, Peter was loving on his new Gentile brothers, and was celebrating with them, not only the liberties that they had in Christ, but also his own. His actions to draw away from them as the Jews arrived, broke off that fellowship which he was sharing in, putting his new Gentile brothers in a position of feeling dirty, or unclean in the eyes of the Jewish standards. Not only did Peter draw away, but many other of the Jewish believers followed his cue; even Barnabas was influenced by Peter's actions, because of Peter's position in the church. I am fully convinced that we know when we are sinning, because the Holy Spirit keeps us in check on these matters; however, there are times when we might find that God's Word will be what corrects us in certain matters; which may, or may not be things that we have detected the Holy Spirit trying to guide us away from. It is in these times that we are found to be sinners; measured against the Word of God, we are pricked in the heart, that what we are doing in our life is wrong. Most of these cases are things which we are accustom to, or have been part of our lives, like living with someone to whom you are not married to; that is a real common one for many new believers. It was for me; about five months after I came to the Lord. Prior to that, my wife and I had made an agreement that we would not get married, because we felt the institution of marriage was so legalistic, and did not matter in our relationship together. But one day, as I was reading the Book of Ephesians, I was pricked in the heart that we needed to be married so that no one would have just cause against us. That is primarily the reason for the correction of God's Word to take place in our lives, so that no one will have just cause against us as a child of God. When there is just cause against us, we can stumble our younger brother and sisters, and we can be looked down upon by the others; or worst yet, we could cause unbelievers to shun away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ! However; in Peter's case, he was wrong, because what he did was to put the legalization of the Law upon the new Gentile believers; in essence, he was judging them by the Law, that he himself had been made free of; making them out to be something that they were not: sinners...

"Found To Be Sinners"

"But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." (Galatians 2:17) I will not be moved, is more than a statement, because it is a stand taken in a matter that has already been established. Do we understand that? Most of us, I fear, do not! Can't we all just get along? As Paul was writing this verse in Galatians, I can only imagine the thoughts that were pressing him in his mind, and if he was thinking still about Peter in Antioch, when he wrote it. In verse 14, Paul tells how he had confronted Peter for his hypocrisy in the view of both Jew and Gentile. In the movie Peter and Paul, Paul was played by Anthony Hopkins, and he played it good; and the movie portrayed Paul actually yelling at Peter in front of everyone, as to make them all aware of his dissatisfaction with Peter's actions. To be perfectly honest, I sometimes wonder what God accepts us to be; or what He expects us to be like? What are we justified in doing? The interesting thing about the verse above, is that the word 'found' is something that means to find without looking; as if to say that we have stumbled into finding out that we are living sinfully. This concept of what is justified before God, is something which takes place in our hearts, not in God's; for the origin of sin in man, is man's doing, not God's. What we sometimes do not understand is that God's ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts; which means primarily, that they are worlds apart. The main point to what Paul is stating in the verse above has to do with our ability to keep the Letter of the Law, and that because we cannot, we seek to be justified by Christ in lieu of our lack of ability to keep the Law; however, that does not give us a blank check to sin. The question that arises from this position, is one of the nature of sin, and what is sin? For the problem that Peter caused in his hypocrisy, could actually have been viewed as sin; or at least viewed as sowing discord; which may be worse than the act of sin...

"His Love is Stronger" -2

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) Now then; since I know what it is that I must do, my next consideration, is how. Very interesting thing to consider; and if you have ever wondered that yourself, then you should know what I am talking about. Can't I just ask Jesus to remove something from my life, and be done with it? Easier said than done; because there is still a little thing called me; and until I am changed, I will continue to get in the way. This is the point to my title, in case you were wondering; His Love is Stronger has to do with being captivated in and by His Love. You see, that whole thing about the chain and the weakest link, is really no longer relevant in His Love!!! I know that I may not be able to explain this very well, but I will try and give it my best shot. It is easier to get somewhere in a car, than it is to walk there; likewise, it is easier to move closer to God in His Love, than it is to move in ours. What? Okay; it really is all about Love; and the sooner we can understand that, then the sooner we can begin to get it right. To put it another way; I would say, that the sooner we can get entangled in His Love, the sooner everything else will become irrelevant and far removed. To understand what I am talking about, you must understand that first and foremost we can do nothing outside of Christ: Jesus Christ being the expression of God's Love. For example, when Paul uses the expression 'crucified with Christ, he is talking about being surrendered to the Love that Christ demonstrated on the cross, not just the fact that his old nature was nailed upon the cross with Christ. Now we are talking about something that we can stand for!!! It was the Love of God that was demonstrated to us on the cross; which goes far beyond just the forgiveness of sin, or even the defeat of sin that Jesus accomplished. It is the expression of His Love towards us!!! And when we see this as it is, then we can see beyond the price which was paid for our sins, and can see the Love that was given for us, as sinners...

"His Love is Stronger"

I can understand why we must take a stand for Jesus; and I can understand why He is so full of mercy for me; but I can't quite get a grip on why I am so weak. It is not because I do not trust God, because I know in my heart that I do; and it is not because my faith is not fully placed in Jesus Christ, because I know Him as my Lord and Saviour. So what is it that makes me become so weak? I think I might have figured it out: It is all about Love!!! A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link; so then, if there is something that I have in my life which I have love for that takes away from the love that I should have for God, then that is my weakest link. Now I must set out to find what that link might be, or links, however the case may be. We can have things that we love; we can have places that we love; and we can surely have people that we love; but if anything that we love is taking from our love for the Lord, then we must root it out and get rid of it. I know, that sounds pretty legalistic; doesn't it? Like, hey man, what happen to our liberties in Christ? It's all good; they are still there; I was just talking about trying to stop from being weak; if that is something that you might be interested in; if not, then party on dude! When we are talking about taking a stand for Jesus, we must also consider everything that is contrary to Him as if it were a person speaking against Him. You would not let someone you know speak out against your Lord and Saviour, would you? Would you??? Okay, never mind that question; I have to confess, I have not confronted people in my family that have said some pretty nasty stuff about my Lord, as I just sat there blushing and wishing they would shut up. But my point that I was making is more about something that we might love which is much like that person you might know that is always putting down Jesus; we don't have to be around those people, and we should not want to associate ourselves with those things. I am so guilty of doing just that which I know to be wrong, and if anyone knows me, they will attest to my obsession for movies. I love movies, because I love the stories and plots to what is being portrayed in movies. As a kid, my thing back then was trying to figure out what my favorite band was trying to say in their songs; actually, I still do that, but with less enthusiasm. For example: I love the movie Tropic Thunder, which I have been told is wrong; but nonetheless, I still love that movie. I keep threatening to buy a video decoder so that I can clean up all my favorite movies where there are objectionable words or images, but apparently I nether have the ambition, nor the time; and all the Clean Film businesses have closed their doors, due to lack of demand and legal problems. However; this is only a minor issue in my life, and is surely not my weakest link in the chain; but as I begin to remove those links which are the weakest, then sooner or later, this might become the weakest... That's the name of that tune...

"So Merciful"

"All things work to the good..." We sometimes don't see this happening while we are in the midst of something that seems as though it might be a trial. But, when we step back and look at our struggle from a different angle, we can begin to understand how His mercies really are "New every morning". If you do not believe that is so, then you should try and practice it for yourself next time you think you are in the midst of a trial: stop, take a deep breath, think of your situation from the point of being for the good, and remember just how merciful our God really is! It is not a matter of how God will work things to the good, but how we react to what He is working in us. Do we see that? Can we? Sometimes I think we seriously overlook that very simple fact; trying to look for what God might be doing to our situation, while all the while, He is wanting us to see what He is changing in us. If I could only be here, or be there; if I could only have this, or have that, then everything would be alright; when it is not where or what that He is concerned with, but who we are in our relationship with Him. Do we really trust Him to work all things out to the good? or do we just hope that He will work things out the way we want them to be? And, it is not that we don't think that we trust Him, because I believe that most of the time we think that we do; but most of the time, our thinking is really not what matters; but what really matters is the reaction of our heart, and how it reacts to His unfailing mercy. That is where are trial becomes a test!!! We can think all that we want, but if we are not trusting Him with all of our heart that He is merciful towards us, then the outcome of our trial may not really matter at all. In other words; trust is a future tense thing, and is based upon the fact that we believe that no matter what the outcome of any matter is, He is going to work it out for our good! Having said that, I am reminded how that our trust is a present tense reaction to a future tense outcome; which is based upon the fact that His mercies are truly new every morning... "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:22 & 23)

"Stand For Jesus" -3

As you can see by the 'short' expression that Paul gives in Ephesians 1:3-10, what we are, where we are going, and how we get there, are all the will of the Father! I know that there are some of you who will not get this, at least not right away, but when I an saying 'Stand For Jesus', it is more of the standing along side; in this case, it is the meaning of the word that goes beyond that which causes us to stand, but is the actual stand that we take; as in, to take a stand! You have heard the expression, You must stand for something, or else, you will fall for anything; well, that is the something that I am talking about. If you read what Paul wrote in just those eight verses, you will discover something that is worth standing for: Jesus!!! It is Jesus whom the Father has established to be from which all blessings flow, and then to be where all blessings are gathered. In an act of solidarity with Jesus Christ, we must stand along side of not only Him, but along side of our brothers and sisters in Christ; this is not an optional stand for us! In fact, I will take this one step further and say, we must fortify this stand by saying: I will not be moved!!! It is not something that we leave to chance, or give over to the Lord for guidance in; as if we are going to say, If the Lord wills, I will be able to do this; or even say, Lord give me strength to do this. This thing that we are talking about is based upon the stand that we take; which for lack of a better definition, is where we have placed our heart!!! That is what determines where and how that we will stand; because it is already His will for you to do it, that has been established; and His strength has already been established for us, as long as we are taking a stand for Him...

"Stand For Jesus" -2

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein you stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:1 & 2) There are a couple of words in the New Testament that are used for the word 'stand', the one above is the most used. It is the word 'histemi', and when used as a verb, means to cause to stand. That is a certain way that we are to be standing for Jesus, wherein we are caused to stand because of the salvation which we have received. However, there is another aspect of this that is commonly over looked, and it is the fact that we are not just caused to stand, but we have been placed where we stand! Oh ya!!! It does not get much easier than that! If we find ourselves not standing in the place where we were meant to be standing, then there is only One thing to do: ask the Lord to place you back where you belong, and then stay there! In the verse above, Paul also speaks about 'keep in memory', which is also very similar to the concept of staying where you are placed; because the word that is used is the word 'katecho', which means hold fast or retain. If you were to ask me what matters the most about being Saved, I would have to say, It is that I am sure of where I am going; with that I am most assured! This is also the point which Paul is making in the verse above, when he states, 'unless ye have believed in vain'; because that word vain that Paul uses here means without purpose, which means that our faith is based upon an outcome! Do you see where this is going?! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should by holy and without blame before Him in Love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved: in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace; wherein He hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He has purposed Himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times He might gather together in One all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in Him." (Ephesians 1:3-10)

"Stand For Jesus"

"And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:6) Be prepared for the battle!!! Because it will be fierce, and there will most likely be bloodshed! That is how I envisioned the warfare that must take place for some of the strongholds to be taken down. But the funny thing was, that I was not necessarily the one who was fighting the battle; but I was definitely the one who was taking the Stand! The point to what Paul is saying in the verse above, has to do with being prepared; we must become ready, or be alert; which means that we are ready for anything. Sometimes in order to take a stand for what you believe, requires that you are prepared to defend that belief by guarding your mind from anything which will come against it: Anything! Yes, anything includes your own desires! We tend to focus so hard on the exterior, we sometimes forget about the interior. Do not be fooled!!! I am more than certain that the desires of our hearts are things that must be taken into consideration. It is not necessarily sinful desires that I am talking about here; but, what it is that our heart actually desires to do. For example: do we desire to serve the poor, or do we make it a burden that is part of our ministry for the Lord? Do we desire to share the Lord with those that are lost, or is it something that we feel obligated to do? Where is your heart really at it when comes to serving Jesus? It is okay to be a bond servant for the Lord, as long as you have had the ring put in your ear, meaning that you serve Him because you want to serve Him. For those that may not know what that means: In earlier days, if a slave was set free, he could choose to still serve his master anyways; and to signify that willingness, he would have a ring put through his ear to show that he was a willing slave, or a freed slave that is choosing to serve his master. This is the concept of the readiness which Paul is talking about; a willingness to serve is a heart that has prepared itself by saying, I am yours Lord! And then standing upon that, by destroying any thoughts that are contrary to that agreement...

"Concepts of the Mind" -2

When Paul is talking about taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ in 2 Corinthians 10:5, he is using a word for thought that means concept of the mind; which is what our minds try and figure out. What a concept! Who's obedience is he talking about? Is it our obedience, or is it Christ's? After all, by what standard are we made Holy? This is not just the practical meaning to Christianity, it is the Gospel Message all rolled up in thought. You see, when we first came to the Lord, our holiness that we received in the moment was not based upon anything which we had done, but was only based upon what Jesus did on the cross. In that moment we were made white as snow by the precious blood of Jesus. In the Book of Revelation there are references to being clothed in white robes; specifically in 7:14 it speaks of those that came out of the great tribulation which have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Now then, this is a thought; but when we are hoping to not be found naked, is it because we are covered by robes that have been washed in His blood? And what are our robes? Coverings; which are the outer appearance of who that we were in Christ? After all, would sinful garments by allowed in heaven? Imagine that for a moment; everyone will know who you are: your the one standing there naked! So then, how do we get our sinful garments to be made white? By the obedience of the Lord!!! Anytime that there is a reference to Jesus as the Lamb of God, it is an illustration to His obedience to the cross: The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world! The concept is quite simple really; because the only way that we are made Holy, and are kept Holy, is by the blood of Jesus. We cannot work our way back to God; although many will try, thinking that it is by their obedience that they will make up for their disobedience; that is not how it works! There must be a washing by His blood to remove all disobedience; and then it is our obedience which is ready to revenge that disobedience; because complete obedience requires that we first be washed in His blood... "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

"Concepts of the Mind"

What Just Happened??? That is the reaction of our minds; thoughts that figure stuff out, or what to. Unfortunately, the more we think about stuff, the more we can tend to place ourselves in the mix; making our self out to be more than we are meant to be, or giving more credit to our self than we should. Again, pride takes a role in this mind bending journey! I can recall a time, back about the first year that I was saved, maybe it was the second year; anyway, I was sharing the Lord with someone who was associated with the W.T.S., and forgot to pray for guidance by the Holy Spirit. I was somehow under the illusion at that moment that I had enough Light in me to penetrate any darkness, so my attitude was much like, I got this. Well, guess what; I was chewed up and spit out! The funny thing was, that he did not come up to me, but I approached him, as he stood on a corner holding out the new addition of the Awake; I drove by, parked, got out and confronted him with Jesus Christ, and the fact that Jesus is God. It did not go as well as I planned, and I most likely got what I deserved: a lesson in humility. After that ordeal, I focused on always praying before sharing Scriptures with the ones that are schooled in twisting the Word of God. I also did something else to help in these encounters, and studied all that I could about what they believe, and what they are all about. For at least six months I read all that I could get my hands on that had to deal with the W.T.S. and it's founder Mr. Russell. Can I let you in on a little uncommonly known fact: Don't fill your mind with false teachings!!! It really messed my head up by taking all that stuff in, day after day, for at least six months. So, what did I do? I went to my local Bible Book Store, and purchased Bible study material; lots of it; tapes, books, and even study workbooks published by J. Vernon McGee; the kind where you fill in the blanks after reading the Scripture references. My point to all of this has to do with putting only what is acceptable and truthful into our minds. But it goes beyond that, because what our mind tends to do with life experiences, also needs to be governed by only what is acceptable and truthful. If it is not, we can begin building idols in our mind; something else which will take the place of the Saviour which set us free from the bondage of sin; something not so dynamic in power...

"The Key of Knowledge" -3

Did you think about what I said yesterday, about how New Believers have a better grasp on what is required of them then us that are seasoned in the Lord? Do you know why that is? The Key of Knowledge is the knowledge of Christianity in general, but more importantly it is the practical knowledge; in other words, what takes place to make us into a New Creature in Jesus Christ. Depending on the experience you might have had the moment you received Christ and were filled with His Spirit, it should have been the most dynamic experience that anyone could have known. Some people are not affected that much, or maybe they really don't know what just happened, so they are confused about the freedom that they are feeling and why they somehow feel far removed from worry. While others (like me), are amazed that The God who created the universe would love them so much, that He would put Himself upon a cross to die for their sins, and to give them eternal life with Him! The power of the Cross; that is what I am talking about! It is unmistakable power that transforms the man of sin into a child of God; the 'I was lost, but now I'm found' experience that takes place the hour that we first believe. So, as we look again to what Paul is saying in 2 Corinthians 10:4-6, it is this dynamic power that I believe he is referring to when he says, "casting down imaginations (reckonings), and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge (key of knowledge) of God", because it is the transformation from the old creature to the new that is the most powerful proof in the life of a Believer. Wine made from water used to wash your hands!!! That is experience: really good wine, from dirty water...

"The Key of Knowledge" -2

Back in His day, these lawyers in Israel were those that were experts in the Mosaic law; or at least they thought that they were. In verse 46 leading up to the one where Jesus speaks of these lawyers having taken away the key of knowledge, Jesus first declares that these same lawyers laid heavy burdens from the law on people too grievous to bare, while they themselves touch not those burdens with one of their fingers. Being an expert in the law does not mean that you have a grasp upon the motivation behind the law. I love Ray Comfort's explanation of the Law: that it is a Schoolmaster to lead us to Christ. In John chapter 5, after healing a man on the Sabbath, Jesus is confronted by the Jewish leaders for having broken the Law, and Jesus declares, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me". This is what those lawyers were being called out for; taking all reference to Jesus out of the teachings; and then because they had chosen not to accept Him, they hindered those that might want to. Do we not also do the same when it comes to our sins? Yes, or no? What I am talking about is how we hinder those that we might be leading, our friends, our children, our spouse, from following what they might believe the Lord is instructing them in, all for the protection of the sin which we might want to hold onto. Again, this is based upon pride! Pride which in one way or another puts our personal pleasure above the growth of others, and hinders what the Lord might be doing in their lives. I believe this may be an explanation for a weakness in the church; or at the very least, the next generation of those that are coming up in the church. Because, those that are New in Christ have a better grasp on what is required of them, then do us that are seasoned. Let me give you an example: when I first came to the Lord, I attended a mid-week Bible Study at night that was given by a very nice Sargent, who would actually smoke during portions of his teachings. After service one night, another inmate and myself confronted him about his smoking, and said that we did not believe it was right for him to smoke while teaching God's Word. Fortunately he listened to the Holy Spirit, because we never saw him smoke again. I know that might sound a little trivial, but the point to what I was saying, is how we might justify sin for ourselves, while pushing it upon others. Misery loves company, is what my mother would always say...

"The Key of Knowledge"

"Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge (Jesus): ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered." (Luke 11:52) Oddly enough, this thing called pride takes the shape of hate more often than not. If I could express it in a way that could relate to how hate hinders our ability to listen, the verse above captures that expression very well. We that are His children, being new creatures in Him, must be able to get past this; it is not an option for us! The thing about lawyers is that they can argue any point they decide to take; pridefully taking a stand, even if they know that they are wrong; they will take on the false information on the behalf of falsehood, and then make it there own. Where this relates to us that are His children, is when we take false information on to ourselves for the benefit of sin; which means that we try and justify something which we know to be wrong, because we have found a lie that makes it right; which does not really make it right, but because of the pride behind the sin, any truth to right the wrong is not listened to; heard yes, but not received. In the verse that Paul uses to express our weapons of warfare, he expresses the knowledge of God being exalted against. In my Bible I have Jesus written above the Key of Knowledge in Luke 11:52 because He is just that; and the Knowledge that Paul is talking about in 2 Corinthians 10:5 is the present and fragmentary knowledge; which, in case you were not aware is Jesus Christ from the beginning to the end. The Old Testament holds keys to the knowledge of Jesus; yet in the New Testament, He holds the keys!!! Okay; I know you might not have understood what 'present and fragmentary' means, so I will use these verses to explain it: "That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; and ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:17-19)

"Leave No Stone Unturned" -2

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a New Creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) Do you really want to keep all that old junk? When we are talking about surrendering 'all', as in to "revenge all disobedience", then we might as well start with pride! This is not just a root of the problem, this is the seed that keeps regenerating from out of nowhere. Back in Matthew 11:29, where Jesus said, "Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart", there is a point that He was making about laying down our pride, for although He was God, He became a servant to all, that He might bring all to Himself!!! If we are going to consider what things we have stored up that need to be removed, starting with this little thing called pride is a really good place to start. It is really kind of funny (yet sad), that this little seed has so many different shapes and sizes. Just when you think that you have dealt with it, it shows up again in another form; sometimes more subtle than before. But what about "all things are become new"? New, as opposed to old or former, and hence, also implying better because different; as the New Testament is better than the Old Testament. "Casting down imaginations" or arguments, which are rooted in pride; which are those things which cause us not to listen to what we are told...

"Leave No Stone Unturned"

I really love Paul's writings, because he holds nothing back. As I was trying to figure out all that I said yesterday (and it was a mouthful), I was reading the Scriptures that I closed with, and was drawn to the word 'all' between revenge and disobedience. The reason that I think that this word is important has to do with 'readiness' and the purpose of revenge. Having our mind set upon the fact that we will all be judged is a good reminder of what is to come, but it is not the motivating factor in our willingness to obey. Jesus Christ must be our Master; He, and He alone must be the reason that our heart pounds for life! In simple terms, the word 'revenge' that Paul uses here in 2 Corinthians 10:6 means to punish, which is very similar to the bringing forth of justice. The word 'all' that Paul puts between this word which means punish and the word disobedience, which actually means failing to hear or hearing amiss, has the purpose of rooting out things which we have set between us and our Lord Jesus Christ; a spiritual cleansing, if you will; however, this is one that is brought on by obedience. Interesting that the fulfillment of obedience can have such a powerful reaction to our walk in Christ, but it does! And it is at these moments that we must be ready to act upon everything that the Holy Spirit instructs us in, because this is when stuff gets dealt with!!! What stuff you might be wondering? Strongholds for starters, which are the things that are rooted deep within us, that can only be dealt with by God's Spirit working in us to root them out. In 2 Corinthians 10:3 & 4 Paul writes, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For our weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;". The word carnal in this instance means temporary or frail, as in not being based upon human power, but power that comes only from God. If I was going to put this in terms that are familiar, I would say, Strike while the iron is Hot!!!

"Confidence To Obey" - Again

What comes later, the confidence to obey, or the act of obedience? What do you think? Okay, let me tell you why it is that the confidence to obey is first: because the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us is sure! He is Holy, and He is pure. If we could only be obedient to everything that we are instructed in, then we would realize the awesome power that lives inside of us. But, such is the life of the average Christian; always needing to be corrected, and never willing to be controlled. It was not that way at first, because everything was so new; but as we grew in the Lord, we learned how not to be obedient in all things. Some may think that this is something which requires no instruction; but I do not. It is really quite the opposite of what we are to be confident in when we take up sins that we have been delivered from. Let me put that another way, by saying, that the act of obedience is to 'follow' the confidence to obey; and when it does not, that is the instruction that we are teaching our New Creature in Christ; verses the instruction that the Holy Spirit is there to provide. The more we give instruction to the New Creature that we are in Christ Jesus, the less confidence we have in our ability to obey; and instead of learning how to obey, we learn how to sin. Yes, I know that we were born in sin, so what's to learn? However, the point that I am trying to make has to do with obedience; which for the most part, was fresh and pure when we first believed. To be established again requires a heart that is willing to forfeit all that is not holy, and to begin to yield to everything that the Holy Spirit gives instruction in: Everything!!! It is harder now than it was when we first believed, because now we have learned how to sin and have lost the confidence to obey. Does that mean that we are no longer filled with the Spirit? No, I do not think that is the case; but rather, we have given ground over to the flesh, and there must be victory won on behalf of the Spirit for that ground to be taken back. This is where I go back to two very important Scriptures: Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (2 Corinthians 10:5 & 6)

"Confidence To Obey"

Another golf analogy: what comes first, the confidence to make the put, or making the puts? This I heard yesterday while listening to the World Championship on my XM radio on my way to church. Then I believe the Holy Spirit spoke to me, saying, What comes first, the confidence to be obedient, or the act of obedience? So I quickly wrote that question down in my iphone memo pad, and dwelt on it for a moment. After getting to church, worshipping for at least 40 minutes, and then being instructed by Pastor Gene to open to 2 Peter 1:16, I remembered what it was that came first: it is the confidence! "Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if you do these things, ye shall never fail: for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 1:10 & 11) Thinking back to when I first accepted Christ into my heart, if I felt the desire to share Christ with someone, there was no thought of my ability to share, but only the concern for their willingness to accept what I was going to say. Not once do I remember doubting what I was going to say to anyone, because everything that I was speaking was from my heart, and powered by the Holy Spirit that was now living inside of me. The same power was made available in me to overcome sin; immediately after receiving Christ into my heart, I had the desire to sin no more. I can remember instantly stopping those things which I had been doing which would be considered sin; only to pick some of them back up later in my walk. But the point of what happened, it was not me that cleansed me of those things, it was Jesus Christ who washed me, and then filled me with His Spirit, giving me the desire for holiness!!! I can recall the voice inside of me, as though it was yesterday; as I would proceed to something that was not okay for my new creation, there was a voice that said, No!; just like a mother telling her new baby No! to those things which are not good for them to do, and that can cause them harm. After telling us to turn to 2 Peter 1:16, Pastor Gene went on to instruct us in the background of this Scripture; giving the situation of the church at that time, and how that everyone was a New Believer, given that the church had just begun. Yet, no matter the age of the new creature that is created in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit that dwells within them is eternal... "According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain into Life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue; whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." (2 Peter 1:3 & 4)

"Wanting To Obey" -2

"For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." (Romans 8:5) I am confident that Paul had no problem with the things of the flesh after being stoned to death (Acts 14:19 & 20), and having been in the presence of the Lord for a moment (2 Corinthians 12:2-5); however, he still had to deal with desires of the flesh, which were the things that were given over to the opportunity to obey. Strange concept, I know, but if you think about it, our desire for the things of the flesh is the only way to prove that we are not minding the things of the flesh. Did that make sense? In other words; if we have the opportunity to allow the Holy Spirit to do what He wants to do in us, which is to strengthen us through His power, we are more than confident that He will accomplish it, time and time again. However, when we fail to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, we give way to the desires of the flesh being fulfilled again, and again. This I think can be seen in the statement Paul make in 2 Corinthians 12:5, "Of such a one will I glory (speaking of his out of body experience); yet of myself I will not glory (speaking of his fleshly body), but in my infirmities (speaking of those things that cause him to depend upon the Lord)". So, even though the flesh can cause us to stumble, in the light of obedience, it causes us to be strengthened in the Lord. This is where faith comes into play in a mighty way, because we must walk by faith, knowing that Jesus Christ has forgiven us of any trespass against Him, and accepting our infirmities as what they are: little pricks that keep us on our knees! Now then, we must look at something that I saw last night; which was in a dream, but could have been a vision; I don't know. Anyway; the power that we have to be obedient, which is not of us, is by His Spirit; the desire that we have to be obedient, is also not of us, but is provided by His Spirit living in us; ours is to earnestly seek to be in the Spirit, which will ensure that we do not fulfill the desires of the flesh. Doing this is the way that we are assured to have no condemnation, because condemnation comes from sin, and sin is the product of disobedience. Because of this fact, we desire the things of the Spirit; knowing that it is by His Spirit that we are going to be obedient, therefore we are after the Spirit as our helper to prevent us from walking in the flesh. The whole point of not walking in the flesh, is that we are not desiring to fulfill the desires of the flesh; which is where we get into trouble! As soon as we begin to plot a way to fulfill the desires that we might have, we give glory to the things of the flesh over the things of the Spirit; which can then lead way to fulfilling those desires because we have stopped earnestly seeking to be powered by the Spirit, and have given power over to the things of the flesh. Herein is the motivation which is towards us: "For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

"Wanting To Obey"

"Now He that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of Him." (2 Corinthians 5:5-9) As I was thinking about the for to start today's post, I could not help but think about the reason why we want to obey for us; I have been sharing a lot about obeying for God, and because of the Love that He has shown us; but sometimes I think we need to know what the cost is involved for us. Part of walking by faith involves the desire of our heart to be with the Lord in glory; which also requires the full-on belief that is where you will soon be! This is what "earnest of the Spirit" is all about!!! The word is 'Arrabon': a word transferred by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians from the Phoenicians meaning earnest money, pledge. Something which stands for part of the price and paid beforehand to confirm the bargain. It is used in the New Testament only in the figurative sense, and is spoken of the Holy Spirit which God has given to believers in this present life to assure them of their future and eternal inheritance. If you look at Romans 8:1 carefully, you will notice that the word 'in' is not given, as in to 'walk in the Spirit'; but the word is 'after'; which, if you really think about it, is the response we have to us being given the earnest of the Spirit: we desire the Holy Spirit to fill us, guide us and secure us!!!! "For the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:2-4)

"We Walk In The Spirit"

When we walk in the Spirit, that is, it is easy to obey! When we are not, well, let's just say, I think you get my point; right? If you don't get that by now, I really don't know what to say. The principle of walking by faith and not by sight, really extends more than just where we walk, but is actually the how we walk; you know that, right? For example: our life cannot be perfect in this mortal shell, because this flesh is not perfect. Simply put; our flesh is constantly getting in the way of our holiness in Christ. This much we see, and we see it time and time again. But that is the point! The Spirit we do not see; however, by faith we are made to look beyond what we see, and have the opportunity to learn how to obey. It's not that we are able to obey on our own, because given our own strength, we will fail, time and time again. That is the point that I believe Paul is making as he speaks about not doing what he wants to do, and doing what he does not want to do. Because when we are in the flesh we will not do what we want to do, and will do those things that we do not want to do; period! Oh, we might try it for a while, and think that we have mastered our walk; but let there be anything contrary to what is our normal routine, and then we will know the difference. And then there is the part about there being no condemnation to those that are in Christ; which for that to be so, requires that we are walking in the Spirit. What that means , is that when we are not walking in the Spirit, then there is room for there to be condemnation in our life, because we will have given over to the flesh; thus, we are not abiding in Christ. This is easy enough to understand, but is it easy enough to do? If we want to it is; but if we don't, it is impossible...

"Our Light Affliction" -3

"For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of Life." (2 Corinthians 5:4) Okay, so you might see what I was getting at about this being easy if we really want to obey, right? No, you don't? Oh, I forgot to get to that point. I think the first thing we must understand in this Life that we have been given, is that our righteousness is not based upon our actions, but is based upon the actions of Jesus Christ. Secondly, He has clothed us with His righteousness, which means that we are made to look as He did, before the Father; dressed in His obedience. And then we have this thing called the flesh; which, for all that it is worth, it is here now it be a vessel of righteousness! Somehow this must all work for His glory, and the reason that it becomes easy is on several different levels; all of which require us to react to what Jesus has done. For example; faith is our reaction in the form of believing; love that we have for God is our reaction to the Love that was given us; obedience is our reaction to knowing who we are in Christ; etc, etc. The idea that we can actually become holy people, even though we are still living in this tent of unholiness, is not that unthinkable; really. And the point which I believe that Paul was making, is not one of dissatisfaction in who he was, but one that declared who he was in Christ; because in verse one of Romans 8, Paul says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit". Which, for a lack of better choice of words, is our reaction to being in Christ Jesus: we walk in the Spirit...

"Our Light Affliction" -2

"It's not hard to do, if you really want to!!!" That would have been my title , if I could have shortened it! I'm pretty sure that we would not have been told something was easy to do, if in fact it was hard; let alone if it was impossible. Have you ever been asked by a friend to do them a small favor, only to find yourself still helping them solve their problem three months later? It's like one of the worst things you can do to a friend, to tell them something will be easy, when you actually know that it will be almost impossible to do. So then, why do we so easily fail at not doing what we know that we should do, or doing what we know we should not do? Paul writes about this little problem in Romans 7:14-25; however, I do not believe that he wrote it so that it would make it alright; but rather to bring attention to something that needed to be dealt with. Besides, let's be honest about something here; when we sin, do we not want to sin when we are doing it? Or wait, let me see, The devil made you do it, right? That was the only excuse that I had growing up, seeing that I was the oldest child; the others would blame me; but come to think of it, I was usually at fault. Let me tell you something: if I want to sin, it is really hard to stop myself; in fact, it is hard to be stopped by anyone or anything. Put up a fence, and I will climb over it; put razor wire along the top of that fence, and I will find something to cut through it; charge the fence with electricity, and I will find the switch, and then I will cut my way through. O wretched man that I am, when I want to be!!! But I think Paul is talking about something else; something which is not based upon what we want to do, or don't want to do; it is actually more about something that we are placed into: another life; which, if not for the fact that we still had this tent, we would be detached from this flesh altogether!!! And with that being said: our real affliction that I believe Paul is referring to in 2 Corinthians 4:17 is actually our flesh! And, if you think that is not all; the word that is used for "light" means light in weight, agile; and I really love this one: quick, as in momentarily... :) "For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked." (2 Corinthians 5:1-3)

"Our Light Affliction"

There are a couple of ways to view the burdens that are laid upon us as followers of Jesus Christ, and some will find they are more direct than others. What that means to us as believers has the value of whatever we are faced with, verses whatever we let stand in our way. Riddle me this: What is it that causes you to take your eyes off of the Lord, verses, what causes you to put more faith in the Lord? To some extent, they may be the same! Yes I know, another crazy post about something that is too strange to get a grasp upon. But seriously; what might be a burden to some, is a catalyst to others; depending on where you are in your walk with the Lord. For some, the sin that so easily makes them stumble is what causes them to take their eyes off of the Lord; while for others, that same sin can be the object which causes them to put more faith in Jesus for strength. Again, we are talking about choices that are made in the individual, not in the power of God that is available to overcome sin; with one new dimensional difference. Because, on the other hand, the other burdens that we might be facing involve persecution for our faith; which again could cause some to waiver, while in others, it could increase the faith that they have in the Lord; depending on how we might view our relationship with God. Here is the dirty little secret: I am under the impression that they are one in the same! Come Again??? Well, let's look at this from a little different perspective; and let's say that the power to overcome sin that is in our life is the same power to endure persecution: they are one in the same; based primarily upon love for God, we choose to be holy, while that same love for God causes us to be strengthened in times of need. Okay, maybe that was a little brisk; because the measure of what we base the love of God in, may not be the same for you as it is for me; but then again, it should be. As I have watched the actions of some who claim to be His children, and yet are taken down by the things that should otherwise have given them strength, I have some doubts as to what they have put their faith into. It is not that they have not put their faith in Jesus to forgive them for their sins, because I think that they have; but then what? For the reason that we were delivered from sin was not just to be pulled from the grip of hell and death, but was to be given life and love. I know, this seems as though I have covered this topic before, and indeed I have; but this time my focus is on the Love of God more than just the choices that we make. There is nothing more stable in the life of a Christian than the Love of God, and a prime example of this would be the moments that Jesus battled with His fate in the garden the night of His arrest. His power to continue the journey to the cross was based upon God's love for man, not upon the will that He possessed; and we know this by His proclamation: "Not My will, but Thy will be done". Likewise, we that are followers of Jesus Christ, having known the love that God has for us, are not governed by our will to do this or that, but we are governed by His love; love that does not change, as do our emotions and our feelings. Once we learn this very simple concept, then are our afflictions (or burdens) light... "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:17 & 18)

"Rest Unto Our Soul"

To understand what Jesus meant about this rest that He spoke of in Matthew 11:29, we must first realize what our soul needed to find in order to be at rest. Searching for something that you do not know of can really make us very weary; it is hard enough to search for something that you know you are looking for, but not knowing what it is that you need, that can get very hard on us. The purpose for Jesus coming to die on the cross for our sins, was not just to make our sins no more, but was to bring us into fellowship with the Creator of our soul. In order for that fellowship to take place, there needed to be an appeasement for the sin that kept us separated from God. This was done, not just to bring us into fellowship with God, but it goes quite further than that; something that I cannot really explain, because it involves something that is not explainable. Okay; let's say that you had a breathing problem, and that you could not get an adequate supply of air; all of you life, there was something missing either in your system or in the air that caused you to struggle every day to breath. And every night you feared to go to sleep, knowing that you might quit breathing altogether if you stopped working hard to breath. That might seem a little extreme to think of it that way, but we are talking about a soul that has been separated from it's source of life. Now then; the fellowship that is established between the lost soul and the Father eliminates that breathing problem and the soul is able to rest; resting not only from the breathing problem, but also the fear that came with it; even the fear to go to sleep. I know, that sounds a little crazy, doesn't it? but it was the best I could come up with at the time to explain the rest that the soul needs. If you have ever had a breathing problem, then maybe you can understand what I meant; if not, then there is one more thing that might do the trick: Love!!! To be able to find a love that takes away all the pain, and that makes this soul complete; so complete, that it wants nothing more than to be loved. It is not that we have not been loved, but that we have not found love; and until we do, our soul is weary for that which it requires to give it rest. That is what fellowship with God brings to our weary soul: Love!!! Now; as far as the breathing thing that I was talking about; well, when we can breath easier, things just get so much easier in life... "For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30)